5 great PC games from your childhood that will make you feel nostalgic

Elvin ReedApr 27, 2018

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Back before consoles were such a big thing, most of us played PC games (when we were actually allowed on the computer). We didn’t have the internet to play things like World of Warcraft or other MMOs, so it was a case of finding a game that we could spend hours playing by ourselves. And trust us, we did. Here are some of the most nostalgic PC games we spent most of our childhoods playing.

The Sims

Easily one of the greatest games of all time when it came out. It was a simulation game of LIFE. You could do everything you can do in normal life, such as eat and go the toilet, but then you could save it, shut it down, and not have to worry about sending your Sim to work. The Sims has become one of the biggest PC franchises of all time since it was first released in 2000 – yep, 17 years ago now! While it may have got more advanced over the years, there’s nothing better than going back to your roots and playing a bit of the original Sims – plus expansions, of course.

Age of Empires

If you didn’t play Age of Empires growing up, then you haven’t lived! This real-time strategy game put you in charge of your very own nation, fighting wars, building your economy, and eventually taking on other people in multiplayer mode. The first game came out in 1997, but most people will probably remember playing Age of Empires II more than any of the others. Starting off with William the Conqueror as a tutorial, remember? And then you could create your own map, give yourself all of the resources, and pretend you definitely weren’t cheating. Ahh, those were the days.

Command & Conquer

Yet another real time strategy game, this time with less cavalry and more tanks. It was considered quite a grown-up game when it first came out, so most of us spent our time watching our dads or older brothers play – while playing it on the sly when they weren’t looking. The original game came out in 1995 and spawned a LOT of sequels, including the Red Alert series which was probably the most famous. Unfortunately, the franchise soon died a death despite EA trying to reboot things again in 2012.

Monkey Island

“You fight like a dairy farmer… How appropriate, you fight like a cow!” Monkey Island is easily my favorite game on this entire list – and many hours of my life were dedicated to guiding Guybrush Threepwood through his many quests. And insult sword fighting, of course. The first game, The Secret of Monkey Island, was released in 1990 on MS-DOS (remember that?!) and consoles such as the Amiga and Atari.

LucasArts went on to produce another three epic Monkey Island games, with TellTale producing the fifth and final Tales of Monkey Island. While trying to play the originals on your PC again requires a program like DOSBox, you’ll be pleased to know that several of the titles were released for consoles such as the PS4. Time to take on LeChuck again

Civilization

Maybe it’s just me, but did we spend our entire childhoods trying to build towns, cities, and fight wars? Surely everyone born in the 80s and 90s will make great Presidents? Civilization was slightly different to a game like Age of Empires, as there was a lot less involvement in actually building your town. Instead, this was all to do with your strategy, timing, allies, and enemies. The first game was released in 1991 and has become so popular over the decades that you can even get a Civilization game app now.